Thomas a



Patented Jan. 10, 1922.

T. A. ElSN.

STORAGE BATTERY mcmunf AND THE PRGDATGTTUN of SAME.

MPUCATIUN FILED SEPT. 5. i919- 1,402,751.

lwefzZar.'

UNITED sTAi'mnQT-.ENT OFFICE.

" A. nmsoir, or LLEWELLYN rami; wnstr cannon, NEW JERSEY. l wonnen-BATTERY nnno'rnonn Ann 'Inn rnobuorzon or anim Application illed September 5,1919. Serial No. 321,938.

Tojalll whomit ma p concern:

Be it known tha I, THoMAe A. lihzaieozv,` e citizenoi theUnted States, and a resident of Llewellyn Park, West Orange, Essex County, New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsm Storage Battery Electrodes and the Productionp Same, of which the' following is a descrip- My invention relates to storage battery electrodes and more Vparticularlyto' -those designed for use in storage batteries ofthe Edison type, wherein nickel hydroxide es the'active material for. the Positive elements is opposedto electrolytical y active iron as the active material for the ne ative elements in an alkaline solution; an the principal object of, the invention is to provide an improved 'form of electrode element whereby a` cell inf-whichsuch elements are assembled will have a high discharge rate. general, my invention resides in an improved form-of electrode element which, when assembled in the cell will result in a great decrease in the internal resistance of the cell, and consequently in a correspond increase in the discharge rate thereof, anc also in an improved `method and means of producingsuch an element.

More specifically described, my improved electrode element consists of a thin metallic late or sheet having elootrol tically4 eposited over the entire sur ace thereof a thin coating or film of a hydroxide of-a suitable metal, preferably nickel hydroxide, the entire sheet preferably being rovided with small and` closely ad- 'acen perforations therethrough, whereby ihe film orcoating-will be securely fastened orclinched to the sheet b -its engagement with the outer surface of t e sheet and with the walls of the perforations therethrough. I have discovered' that under certain con ditions a film or coating of a h dreigde o a metal can be electrolytically eposited on a member employed as a cathode in an electrolytic cell inwhich the electrolyte consiste of a solution of a material'comprisingor containing-,a salt ofsuch metal; and. in

its broader aspectsmy invention consists in.V a member provided withlsuch a film or Y coating-and in the method and means of producing the same.

to and consistin `iiig agent such as a mixture u M co ding application, Serial No. m181 S1 li ed November 28l 1921, is a division of the present application and contains ,claims directed to an improved electrol ic cell for producing elements or mem ers" having ectrolytically de oted surface coatings orilms such asreierred to above. 'In producin `positive electrode elements for nickel iron a line store batteries inaccordance with my invention, `I referably employ a plurality of nickel- -ated thin plates or 'sheets of steel as catho es opposed respectively disposed between anodes nitrate o, nickel or a solution of a mixture Patented Jan. 1o, 192e.

of solid nickel in a solution of of a nickel salt and an oxidizing and platof nickel sulphoto an approximately 10% of a ,nitrate such as nitrate of soda, as the electrolyte. On passing a current through such cell thin semi-transparent films or coatings of nickel hydroxide, instead ci films of metallic nickel as would naturally be expected, are deposited en the cathodes. I nd that `iinproved plating of the nickely .hydroxide on the catliodes results when the nickel lating solution contains approximatel 10 o of a nitrate sal-t. The nickel late steel lates or slieeteare each preferaly provide with closel ad'acent perforations and the film of niclce hydroxid Josited'thereon will consequently tenacious y Aadhere or be securely clinched tothe sheet, ,as described above,

so that it will be practicable to employthe san'ieasul an electrode element of a storage batter? cell. After lilnis of nickel hydroxide o Ythe desired thickness have been de posited .on the pei-forato nickel-plated steel sheets, the same are removed from the electrolytic cell and plaeedin a bath of water which washes out any nitrate o nickel which may be resent in the pores and on the. surface of t e films of nickel h droxide.

'The electrode elements produce as just described may now be assembled with suitable negative electrode elementssuch as those having electrolytically active'linely 'divided iron as vthe active material, in a stoi'ag'ebattery cell.

In order that my invention ma be more clearly understood, attention is directed to the drawing accompanying and `forming a. part of this specification, and in which:

from any Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of a storage battery electrode element or plate in accorde-nce with my invention:

Figureis a greatly enlarged fx'agmental. sectioal view taken on line 2-2 of Figure 1; an

Figure 3 is a diagrammatic view in section of anelectrol tlc cell employed in producing electrolytlcally deposited films or coatings of a. h droxide on storage battery electrode or other elements in accordance with my invention.

Referring tothe drawing and especially to Figures 1 and 2, reference character 1 represents my improved storage y battery electrode-element or plate which is rovided with the usual perforated ear or ug 2 to enable the same to be'mounted on a plate supporting-rod such. as usually employedin storage batteries of the Edison type. The electrode element or plate 1 consists of a thinnickell lated steel sheet 3 provided with small clos y adjacent erforations 4 cxtending therethrough. ighile but com arativelyv few of these pcrforations are sown in. the: drawing, it is to be understood that practically the entire sheet is so perforated.

Allexposed surface portions of tie sheet 3, including the walls of the perforations 4, are entirely covered with a thin coating or film "5A ofA nickel hydroxide eleetrolytically de osited thereon.

ghe electrolytic cell employed in rodncing the-films or coatings of nickel hy( roxide on electrode elements such as just described (referring now to Fig. 3) comprises a suitable tank 4or receptacle 6 containing an electrolyte; 7 consista of a solution of nitrate of nickel or a so ution of a mixture of n.- niclrel salt and an oxidizing and platingagent such, for example, as a mixture of nickel sulphate and approximately 10% oil nitrate of soda, anodes 8 composed of solid nickel and the'thin metallic plates or sheets 3 to be coated as cathodes respectively disposed between and o osed to the anodes S in the electrolyte 7. e anodes 8 and cathodes `3 are suitably supported-in the tank 6 and a pail'- of conductors 9 and l0 respectively connected with the anodes and cathodes serve to sog ly the cell with current suita e source (not shown). Upon passing a current throu h this cell, nickel hydroxide will be eve y deposited over the entire surface of each of the cathodes or nickel-plated steel sheets 3. After Films or coating of nickel hydroxide of the desired thickness have been formed on the sheets 3, the latter are removed from the cell and placed in a bath of water which dissolves or Washes out any nitrate of nickel present in the pores or on the surface of the films or coatings of nickel hydroxide. The sheets arethen removed from the water `l claim as new and desire bath and are ready for assembly in a storage battelI'y cell.

While have specifically described my invention as applied to the production of storage battery electrode elements, it is to be understood that the same is applicable to the production of elements for other purposer.- aml that my invention is limited only as defined by the terms of the appended ilanns.

Having nou' described by invention, what to protect by Letters Patent is as follows:

1. A storage batte electrode comprising a conducting support aving electrolytically deposited thereon as a cathode a coatin or film of a hydroxide of a metal, substantially as described;

2. A storage. battery electrode comprising a perforated metallic sheet having electrolytif-ally deposited thereon as a cathode a coating or lm of a hydroxide of a metal, substantiallly as described.

3. A storage battery electrode comprising a conducting support having electrol tcally clepositedthereon a coating or lm ci hydroxide, substantially as described.

4. A storage battery electrode comprising a perforated metallic sheet having electro- ]ytically deposited thereon a coating or film of nickel hydroxide, substantially as described.

5. A storage battery electrode comprising a thin perforated metallic sheet having electrolytically de osited thereon as a cathode a coating, or im of a hydroxide of metal covering all exposed surface portions thereof, whereby such coating will be secured to said member by engagement with the outer surface portions thereof and the walls of said perfor-ations, substantially as described.

6. A storage battery electrode comprising u member formed of steel having electrolytically deposited thereon a coating or film of a hydroxide of u metal, substantially es described.

T. A storage battery electrode comprising a perforated sheet of nickel plated steel having' electrolyticully deposited thereon a coating or film of nickel hydroxide covering all exposed surface portions thereof including thc wells of said perfor-ations, substantially' as des rribed.

S. The method of electrolyticallycoati a member with a hvdroxide of u metal, which consists in employing such member ns a cathode opposed to :i suitable anode in an electrolyte consisting of a solution of a material capable of acting as an oxidizing and plating' agent and containing a salt of such metal, and passing n. current through the electrolytic cell, substantially as described.

9. The method of applying a coating of nickel nickel hydroxide to a metallic member, sisting of a solution of nitrate of nickel, which consists in employing such member passing a current through the electrolytic as a cathode opposed to an anode of nickel cell, then lemoving the cathode from the iu an electrolyte consisting of a solution of cell and washing out the nitrate of nickel l nitrate of nickel, and passing a current which is present on such cathode, substanl5 through the electrolytic cell, substantially as tially as described. described. T is specification signed and witnessed 10. "he method which consists in employthis 28th day of August, 1919.

ing a metallic member as a cathode opposed 10 to an anode of nickel in an electrolyte con- THOS. A. EDISON. 

